RS polls: Mayawati slams SP for 'dynastic politics, favouring capitalists'

LUCKNOW, Oct 2: BSP president Mayawati on Friday accused the Samajwadi Party of practising dynastic politics and favouring wealthy industrialists, alleging that its recent Rajya Sabha nominations contradicted its claims of representing the backward, Dalit and minority communities.

In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the SP sought votes in the name of PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) but preferred members of its own families and big industrialists for positions such as MPs and MLAs.

Mayawati cited the SP's decision to renominate senior party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, uncle of party president Akhilesh Yadav, and field Reliance Industries executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Uttar Pradesh as a recent example of what she described as the party's contradictory politics.

She also questioned the SP's possible decision to field a third candidate, suggesting that the move could be aimed at saving face despite the possibility of losing the election.

"SP wants votes in the name of PDA, but makes mostly its own family members and big capitalists MPs and MLAs," Mayawati said, urging people not to be misled by the party's PDA narrative.

She claimed that "the BSP, unlike the SP and other rival parties, did not rely on family members, relatives or wealthy industrialists for its electoral candidates, but instead fielded dedicated Ambedkarite workers from poor, middle-class and weaker sections of society."

Describing the BSP's politics as "free from dynastic considerations and the influence of money power", Mayawati alleged that "the SP's claims of being a socialist party and representing PDA were a political pretence".

She urged poor people from upper castes and members of the "Bahujan Samaj", including Dalits, tribals, extremely backward classes, Muslims and other religious minorities, to remain vigilant ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mayawati said the interests of these communities were best protected by the BSP and accused the SP of having a longstanding record of what she termed a "double-faced" approach to politics. (PTI)